Slick roads lead to accidents

Tuesday

Nov 27, 2007 at 12:01 AM

Two Limestone volunteer firefighters were taken to an area hospital this morning after the fire engine they were riding in overturned while enroute to a two-vehicle rollover accident. There was also a crash in El Paso involving two semis this morning. No serious injuries in either crash. Both wrecks are attributed to slick road conditions.

Leslie Fark, Frank Radosevich II

The first day of winter has yet to arrive, but slick road conditions led to several vehicle crashes on Monday morning in the Tri-County area. No one was seriously injured, police said.

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Lincoln cautioned more severe weather — including two to four inches of snow or freezing rain — may be in store for this weekend.

"There was a chance of a few flakes flying in Wednesday night after a cold front, but that looks like a non-event," meteorologist Ed Shimon said Monday evening. "The next big event is Saturday and Sunday. The potential is there for a pretty messy weekend. If people have weekend plans, they might want to keep an eye on the weather."

In Peoria County, two volunteer firefighters were sent to the hospital after the fire engine they were in rolled down an embankment while responding to to another rollover accident.

About 7:05 a.m., a Jeep heading east down a steep hill in the 6600 block of Lancaster Road, about a mile east of Cameron Lane, lost control on an icy bridge, slid off the road into a ditch on the north side of the road, overturned and landed on its roof. The driver, Michelle Heitzman, 40, of 15521 W. Todd School Road, Glasford, was not injured.

A Limestone Township fire engine responding to the crash also lost traction on the bridge and headed into the ditch.

"They were going slow, approaching the scene, when they hit the icy bridge and lost control," Limestone fire Capt. Brian Knox said. "It was due to the weather, the icy condition is what we can tell" caused the accident.

Flipped on its side, the engine came to a rest on an embankment about a 100 feet away from Heitzman’s wrecked Jeep.

The two firefighters on board, Jacob W. Stewart, 20, of 110 Eaton Ave., and Jacob L. Cleer, 24, of 2622 Skyway Road, both of Bartonville, were treated and released from OSF Saint Francis Medical Center. Knox credited seat belts for keeping Stewart, the driver, and Cleer, the passenger, safe from serious injuries.

In eastern Woodford County, the icy northbound lanes on Interstate 39 triggered a rollover wreck for one semi and sent another into a ditch.

Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Fred Winterroth said the truck landed on its side about 5:55 a.m. near the El Paso exit, forcing a second semi behind it off the road to avoid colliding with it. "I’m sure there will be a lot more coming," Winterroth said of weather-related crashes.

Troopers closed the interstate for about three hours and detoured traffic. Neither driver was seriously hurt.

Leslie Fark can be reached at (309) 686-3188 or lfark@pjstar.com. Frank Radosevich II can be reached at (309) 686-3142 or fradosevich@pjstar.com.

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